The instant invention relates to abrasive scouring cleaners which can be either liquid or granular in form. Such cleansers utilize a very particular type of expanded perlite abrasive in order to realize especially beneficial performance characteristics.
Abrasive scouring cleansers provide a convenient and useful means for carrying out ordinary household cleaning of hard surfaces. The particulate abrasive material within such compositions serves to abrade and loosen soil adhering to hard surfaces and further serves to create more intimate contact between hard surface stain and the surfactant and/or bleaching agents also present in the cleansing compositions.
Abrasive cleansers have traditionally contained water-insoluble, relatively hard, particulate mineral material as the abrasive agent. The most common such abrasive agent is finely divided silica sand having particle size varying between about 1 and 300 microns and specific gravity of about 2.1 or higher. While such material is generally very effective in scouring soil and stains from the surfaces being treated, abrasive material of this type tends to be difficult to rinse away from the hard surface once scouring is completed. Thus, even after rinsing, a palpable, unsightly gritty residue is frequently left behind which is especially noticeable on dark or colored surfaces.
Residual grit can, of course, be reduced by lowering the amount of abrasive material within the scouring composition or by reducing the particle size and/or density of such abrasive material. Concentration, size and density reduction generally tends, however, to decrease the effectiveness of the abrasive composition in removing soil and stain. There is thus a continuing need for effective, low residue producing, abrasive scouring cleansers.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide abrasive scouring compositions which are highly effective for removing soil and stain from hard surfaces.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide abrasive scouring compositions which leave minimal gritty abrasive residue after such compositions are rinsed from the surface being cleaned.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide highly effective, low residue, abrasive scouring compositions which are physically and chemically stable whether in liquid or granular form.
It has been discovered that abrasive compositions of this desired type can be realized by utilizing a particular type of expanded perlite abrasive in combination with surfactant, filler material and other optional scouring cleanser ingredients. Although perlite materials are known abrasive materials and have been utilized in grinding wheels and some soap, hand cleaning, concrete cleaning and polishing compositions [See, for example, Robie, U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,812, issued Feb. 12, 1956; Bandau, German Pat. Nos. 1,233,078 and 1,256,343, published respectively Jan. 26, 1967 and Dec. 14, 1967; Ekoperal, German Pat. No. 1,289,600, published Feb. 20, 1969; Meisei, Japanese Patent Application 10558/67, published Nov. 29, 1972, Publication No. 72/47282; and Iwaguma et al, Japanese Pat. Application 71/57,404. published March 28, 1973, Publication No. 80/23,806], it has not been heretofore appreciated that expanded perlite of particular size and density can be used in particular concentrations within the context of household scouring cleansers to provide unexpectedly beneficial scouring and rinsability performance results. It has been discovered that by utilizing such particular perlite materials in combination with surfactant and filler materials, the above objectives can be realized and household scouring cleansers formulated which are surprisingly superior to those found in the prior art.